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Letters of Note is an attempt to gather and sort fascinating letters, postcards, telegrams, faxes, and memos. Scans/photos where possible. Fakes will be sneered at. Updated as often as possible; usually each weekday.

Back in 1950, looking to publicise a new exhibition named "Conquest of Space," the Hayden Planetarium in New York publicly announced that they were accepting reservations for the first trip into space, whenever that may be. Unsurprisingly, in the coming weeks and months applications from all corners began to arrive at the museum, from would-be space travellers of all ages. A selection of the letters have recently been put online by the AMNH, and can be seen here.

Below is just one of the application letters, written by a high-school student and notable if only for the postscript, in which the real reason for his application becomes clear.

I have just read in a Newspaper that you are reserving passage on the first spaceship that goes to Mars — for anyone who wants to go. At the present time I am a student attending High School, and I will be unable to go until I finish college... But from what I hear you won't be attempting the trip for quite a good many years to come.

My name is: Nordahl [Address redacted]

P.S. I would like to get out of this world before the H-Bomb blows it sky high.

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The Letters of Note book is out October 2013; learn more here.